The newly posted Divisional Police Officer in Agbarho Division in Delta State with some of his men have been reportedly ambushed and shot dead by a kidnap syndicate.

The incident reportedly occurred around 1am Monday, two days after the DPO identified as CSP Jega resumed office at the Agbarho Divisional Command.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the deceased DPO together with the DPO, Orerokpe division, CSP Paul, had jointly led their men for a kidnap rescue operation at about 1:am in the early hours of Monday, during which they were ambushed by members of the kidnap syndicate, at a location close to the Agbarho rail station.

The suspected kidnappers were said to have greeted the security teams with sporadic gunshots.

In the exchange of fire, the new DPO and some policemen were reportedly killed while the Orerokpe DPO missed death by the whiskers and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital where doctors are presently battling to save his life.

Reacting to the incident, a Warri-based activist, Israel Joe, said he was pained by the incident.

Joe said, “I feel very pained about this news. This was the same DPO I spoke with yesterday about the conduct of his men who demanded money from a citizen, and he rescued the situation immediately, cautioning his men not to try that again under his watch.

“This is very tearful, I can, to some extent, attest to the characters of these men. I wish to convey my condolence to the Nigeria Police Force, the CP Delta State Command, entire family and friends of the police who lost their lives in a quest to save society in the front line of duty. None of these demons should be spared by the force”.

When contacted, the police public relations officer for Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the gory incident.

“They (the police team) were ambushed. But it’s only the DPO that we lost,” he stated.